No-hitter or not [url=http://www.eaglesauthorizedshops.com/authentic-paul-worrilow-jersey]http://www.eaglesauthorizedshops.com/authentic-paul-worrilow-jersey , Mike Soroka knew the Braves would be cautious and not let him overexert his right shoulder.

¡±The first time I even thought about what was going on was going out for the sixth,¡± he said. ¡±It was happening so quickly. You get into a rhythm that way, and that wasn¡¯t bad as well.¡±

Soroka did not allow a hit until the seventh inning, Freddie Freeman homered and drove in both runs, and the Atlanta Braves beat the struggling New York Mets 2-0 on Wednesday.

Soroka, the youngest pitcher in the major leagues and one of baseball¡¯s top prospects, returned from a shoulder strain that sidelined him since May 17 to outpitch NL ERA leader Jacob deGrom in a game that lasted only 2 hours, 12 minutes.

Making his fourth career start, Soroka (2-1) gave up one hit, one walk and struck out four in 6 1/3 innings . He had a simple game plan.

¡±Pitch my game and let them adjust to my game as opposed to the other way around,¡± Soroka said. ¡±I think we did a really good job of that.¡±

Freeman, the NL batting leader, has hit safely in 23 of his past 24 games. He drove in the first run with a single in the fourth off deGrom (4-2). He homered off Jeremy Blevins in the eighth .

Freeman has five homers in his past seven games and 14 overall.

Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said that Soroka would be on a pitch count, so it was no surprise when he replaced him with A.J. Minter after Michael Conforto singled to begin the seventh after 74 pitches.

The Mets have lost 10 of their past 11 and 17 of their past 21. They went 3-6 at SunTrust Park this season against the NL East-leading Braves.

DeGrom (4-2) allowed seven hits and one run and struck out seven in seven innings and threw 86 pitches. He began the game leading with majors with a 0.81 ERA since April 21, but trailed 1-0 in the fourth when Dansby Swanson doubled with one out and scored on Freeman¡¯s single.

The punchless Mets have scored 10 runs in their past 87 innings. They¡¯ve lost deGrom¡¯s past five outings even though he¡¯s allowed only five runs over that span.

¡±He threw seven really stressful innings, especially the last couple of innings [url=http://www.eaglesauthorizedshops.com/authentic-richard-rodgers-jersey]http://www.eaglesauthorizedshops.com/authentic-richard-rodgers-jersey ,¡± New York manager Mickey Callaway said. ¡±He had to grind thorough there and did a great job of keeping us in the game and giving us a chance to win like he does every time.¡±

Conforto moved to second on a wild pitch by Soroka in the seventh, but didn¡¯t advance when Minter struck out Brandon Nimmo and Jay Bruce popped up. Soroka¡¯s other base runner was Bruce, who walked to begin the second and was erased on a double play.

Arodys Vizcaino earned his 12th save in 14 chances in a shaky ninth. Nimmo doubled with two outs, advancing Conforto to third, before Bruce popped up to end it.

DeGrom said he wasn¡¯t blaming teammates for the lack of run support, but third baseman Todd Frazier summed up the state of the Mets¡¯ offense.

¡±After the game, I said, `Dude, I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. I don¡¯t know why we¡¯re not producing for you,¡¯ ¡± Frazier said. ¡±We talk about trying too hard. Maybe we¡¯re trying too hard when he¡¯s pitching, but a guy throws like that, he works fast. He was just dominant.¡±

STILL SCORCHING

Facing a shift in the fourth, Freeman hit an opposite-field single, improving his average since the start of 2013 with runners in scoring position to .361, best in the majors over that span.

He¡¯s hitting .413 against the Mets in 12 games this year and has a .318 average, 22 homers and 94 RBIs in 134 games against the Mets [url=http://www.thechiefsfootballauthentic.com/breeland-speaks-jersey-authentic]Youth Breeland Speaks Jersey , but his thoughts were mostly on his mother. Wednesday marked the death of Rosemary Freeman, who passed away from skin cancer when Freddie was 8 years old.

¡±I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve ever done well on this day,¡± he said. ¡±It¡¯s hard to keep my emotions in check. We lost her way too young. I hit that really high, I know I hit it good, but I think she pulled that one over for me today.¡±

TRAINER¡¯S ROOM

Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard has been prescribed more rest after getting a second opinion on a strained ligament in his index finger. Callaway said Syndergaard¡¯s right finger is ¡±tender to the touch.¡± Syndergaard, on the disabled list retroactive to May 26, was examined Tuesday in New York. There is no immediate timetable for his return.

Braves: RHP Julio Teheran, out since June 5 with a right thumb contusion, is eligible to come off the disabled list Friday, but the Braves have yet to announce their rotation for the weekend.

UP NEXT

Mets: LHP Steven Matz (2-4, 3.53 ERA) threw a season-high 105 pitches in his previous start, a no-decision against the Yankees. He¡¯ll face Matt Koch (4-3, 4.20) as the Mets open a series against the Diamondbacks.

Braves: RHP Anibal Sanchez (2-0, 2.37 ERA) will try for his first victory in six starts against San Diego against the Padres¡¯ Tyson Ross (5-3, 3.43).

¡ª

After launching 10 home runs in their first two games against the Pirates, the Dodgers kept it in the park and still won their fourth in a row.

Rich Hill earned his first victory in three months [url=http://www.arizonacardinalsteamonline.com/christian-kirk-jersey]Authentic Christian Kirk Jersey , Yasmani Grandal and Chris Taylor drove in three runs apiece, and Los Angeles beat Pittsburgh 6-4 on Wednesday night to sweep the Pirates for the second straight year.

The Dodgers outscored the Pirates 31-8 in the series, the first time they¡¯ve totaled 30-plus runs and 20-plus extra-base hits in a three-game series since 1950, when the Brooklyn Dodgers had 47 runs and 22 extra-base hits also against the Pirates, according to Stats LLC.

¡±It¡¯s been fun. Everybody seems to be swinging the bat well,¡± Taylor said. ¡±It seems like it¡¯s a different guy every time. We know we can manufacture runs. It just happens we¡¯ve been scoring most by the homer.¡±

Hill (2-3) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings for his first victory since April 1, when he won his season debut against the Giants. The left-hander, who had been sidelined by blister issues, struck out five and walked one.

It was the first time the Pirates walked in the series.

¡±The mechanical things we worked on a month ago I look forward to keeping the rest of the season,¡± Hill said.

Hill left the game with a stiff neck after an ill-advised head-first slide into home plate in the fourth.

Kenley Jansen earned a five-out save, his 23rd of the season. Pinch-hitter Corey Dickerson singled with two outs in the ninth, putting the potential tying run at the plate, but Austin Meadows struck out to end the game.

Daniel Hudson, who relieved Hill, was ejected in the sixth by first-base umpire Jeff Nelson. Hudson gave up a one-out single to Elias Diaz and then appeared to be yelling in Nelson¡¯s direction before getting tossed. Hudson gave a dismissive wave of his right arm before retreating to the dugout.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Nelson had cautioned Hudson that his hand was carrying the ball, although Roberts said the delivery wasn¡¯t out of the ordinary.

¡±He wanted Daniel to have the hand available for the runner to see [url=http://www.arizonacardinalsteamonline.com/mason-cole-jersey]Authentic Mason Cole Jersey ,¡± Roberts said. ¡±Nelly interpreted it correctly.¡±

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner was hit by a pitch from Tyler Glasnow in the fifth, but stayed in the game. The ball grazed his shoulder first before striking part of his helmet.

¡±It kind of shook him up,¡± Roberts said.

Grandal gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead with a two-out RBI single in the first. His two-run RBI double put them back in front in the third, and Taylor followed with an RBI single to chase Clay Holmes (0-1) and make it 4-2.

The Pirates briefly led 2-1 on Starling Marte¡¯s two-out RBI double just inside the left-field line in the third.

Pittsburgh lost its third in a row and went 4-5 on its nine-game trip to New York, San Diego and Los Angeles.

¡±The game shows you where you need to improve,¡± manager Clint Hurdle said. ¡±It gives you immediate feedback.¡±

Holmes gave up four runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings of his first major league start. The right-hander struck out two and walked three, all in the first inning when he needed 35 pitches.

¡±I made some good pitches,¡± Holmes said. ¡±But they had some good takes and made me work a little extra in the first.¡±

TRAINER¡¯S ROOM

Dodgers: RHP Walker Buehler (right rib microfracture) is set to throw a simulated game in Anaheim on Sunday. That session should end his rehab and he will return to the club. ¡­ RHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (left groin strain) will go to spring training camp in Arizona while the Dodgers are on a seven-game trip to Anaheim and San Diego. Ryu will be joined there by RHP Pedro Baez (right biceps tendinitis), LHP Tony Cingrani (left shoulder strain) and RHP Josh Fields (right shoulder inflammation).

ADVENTURE IN BASE RUNNING

Hill notched his first hit of the season with a perfectly placed bunt single in the fourth and his first since Sept. 27, 2017. That launched his adventure on the base paths. He advanced to second and third on wild pitches. Hill slid home head-first only to get tossed out on a double-play ball by Max Muncy. ¡±Sliding head-first into home plate for a pitcher is no-no,¡± Taylor said. Hill said he would get treatment on his neck. ¡±I just need to learn how to slide feet-first,¡± he said.

UP NEXT

Pirates: Off on Thursday before RHP Trevor Williams (6-6, 4.22 ERA) starts at home Friday against Philadelphia. He has lost his last two starts.

Dodgers: After an off-day, RHP Kenta Maeda (5-5, 3.36) starts the series opener Friday in Anaheim. He is 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA in two career starts against the Angels.